Going Home

October 4

We had arranged with Peter, the taxi driver, to pick us up at 9:30.  Our flight would only leave at 1:30, but the drive out to Heathrow, especially during the morning rush, can take quite some time.

Peter was there early, and called from outside the building at about 9:10!  We were ready for him, but it took a couple of trips down the elevator to bring all the suitcases and then do a final check through the apartment to make sure all the lights were off and the iPhone was left charging on the counter.

We got quite a tour leaving London as we were on the east side. There is no ring road in London, so we travelled along the river, past Buckingham Palace and the London Eye on our way out. We found out that Peter and his wife live 90 minutes outside of London, near Brighton. He drives into London every day for work! He owns his own cab, and his wife is his "guv'nor". We arrived at Heathrow in oodles of time, arriving about 10:30.

I had checked us in on-line the night before, but before checking our bags I headed over to the tax refund line. You have to get a customs stamp first and then line up for the refund.   While you are supposed to be able to get the VAT back on goods (20%), few shops offer the correct forms and then the exchange company takes an administration fee.  However, as I had purchased a tapestry at Hampton Court, I would be able to receive a refund of £42 ($65).  April guarded the large suitcases and I took my carry-on with the tapestry to the refund line-up. You have to be able to produce the item(s) if asked.  After about 20 minutes in line, I hadn't moved an inch and there were probably 50 people in front of me, all looking like there were expecting large refunds.  I noticed that carry-on items could refunded past security, so I went back to where April was sitting and got our boarding passes and luggage tags.

It was a slow go through security and April’s bag was set aside for searching.  One woman was there with wine and she was drinking it rather than throw it away! When the guard finally got to April’s bag, it was discovered that she had a small tube of toothpaste that hadn't been taken out of the bag.  No problem once that was discovered and we were free to go.

The VAT refund line up was a lot smaller on this side of security, so April sat down for a coffee and I went and got the custom stamp and then applied for the refund. Although it was a short line-up, I was behind a tour group from China and they had considerable language challenges in processing their requests. However,  I was able to get through in 15 minutes or so, far faster than it would have taken on the other side of security.

Heathrow is huge, and so they only announce gate numbers about 45 minutes before departure. As well, there are notes as to whether you will need 10, 20, or 30 minutes to walk to your gate from the duty free and food court area!  Luckily we were at a relatively close gate.

The plane left exactly when scheduled, but it was probably 25% empty. The flight was smooth, and we flew over Iceland, Greenland, and then northern Canada.  A woman seated across the aisle from us had come from India and was going to a conference at the University of Calgary business school. She had to fly from northern India to Mumbai, Mumbai to London, and then London to Calgary.  She would arrive on October 4th and then was leaving on the 7^th! I can’t imagine how terrible her jet lag would be.

Getting through customs was easy. I had given April some receipts as I was probably $100 over the limit, but they never questioned the balances or asked to see anything.  April’s customs officer asked her what she had bought.  Mine, once he heard I had been over to Paris, asked if I had brought back any French cheeses or foie gras! I can’t imagine a lot of people would bring cheese or foie gras back, but it must be a problem.

Ray picked us up outside arrivals and they dropped me off at my place before heading out to Fairmont for the long weekend.

The trip to London and Paris was fantastic. Yes, we had some challenges with the apartment in Paris, but it gave us a taste of how life is for Parisians. The museum and transit passes were great time savers and the subway systems in both London and Paris are unbelievable efficient. Listening to choral evensong in the Chapel Royal in Hampton Court, sitting in the audience as Simon Callow became Charles Dickens, sharing a table with strangers at Le Chartier, eating at a Jamie Oliver restaurant - all these were wonderful unplanned adventures.

We have lots of great pictures and memories. When I got home, I got another lovely surprise. When I was putting my 20€ mustard jar from the Saturday morning flea market in Paris into the china cabinet, I turned it over and saw “Baccarat Depose”. I then looked up Baccarat mustard jars and much to my surprise, here was my jar:

http://www.google.ca/imgres?hl=en&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbnid=XTFeWiXVn7q4BM:&imgrefurl=http://www.lamidesarts.fr/SUPERB-BACCARAT-CRYSTAL-Mustard-pot-spoon&docid=bS1es69AuLslZM&itg=1&imgurl=http://www.lamidesarts.fr/WebRoot/ce_fr/Shops/167248/MediaGallery/photos/1109/10/0720_028.jpg&w=580&h=760&ei=2oJwUNeTF-mSiAKbpYCQDw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=382&sig=111107158614087863143&page=1&tbnh=152&tbnw=113&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:71&tx=33&ty=93

I thought it was cool enough to be able to say that I had picked it up in a flea market in Paris.  Now I can say I picked up this piece of Baccarat at a flea market in Paris!

I have to thank April and Ray for the wonderful trip. Thanks to Ray for giving April a trip to Paris for their anniversary and thanks to April for thinking of bringing me along! We had lots of great adventures, ate wonderful foods, drank many glasses of wine and walked enough to wear off all the calories.

À bientôt!

Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey

October 3

We were up and out early (for us) to ensure we got to Buckingham Palace in plenty of time to pick up our tickets for our 10:15 entry. That meant getting on the Tube around 9. You couldn't imagine the numbers of people all walking very quickly and all, apparently, going in the exact opposite direction we needed to get to. Once we got on the train, it wasn't too crowded, but the walk through the station was the most bewildering I've ever encountered.

One of the transit workers told us to go to Green Park for Buckingham Palace, so that’s where we headed. We discovered that the Green Park station is across from the Ritz and is at the edge of Hyde Park. We walked through Hyde Park to get to the Palace, and it was a lovely respite after the congestion of the Tube.

Hyde Park

April at the gates

Picking our tickets up with no problem, we then had about 45 minutes before our 10:15 ticket time. The timed entry was for the Queen’s Gallery. This Gallery typically shows paintings from the Queen’s collection, but at this time the entire gallery was devoted to the anatomical drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci.  I love Leonardo, but there are only so many drawings of muscles, tendons, hearts, and skulls that you can look at!

When we were done at the Queen’s Gallery, we headed toward the line-up for the state apartments.  We were concerned that it would take a long time to enter, but discovered that our “Royal Day Out” tickets allowed us to enter at any time, so in we went, ahead of everyone queued up!

Buckingham Palace

The tour through the Palace state rooms was amazing. We weren't allowed to take any pictures, but we saw the Throne Room, the East Gallery, West Gallery, Ballroom, Music Room, Great Hall, the Blue and White Staterooms, and the State Dining Room, among others. The paintings in the East Gallery were exquisite and I was thrilled to see Vermeer’s Music Lesson on display. That makes five Vermeers that I have seen on this trip. 

Once the tour was over, we had a sandwich and latte in the café overlooking the Queen’s gardens. We then headed out of the Palace grounds on our way to Westminster Abbey. It is amazing how quiet it was in the Palace gardens, just over the wall from the roar of London traffic.

Once out of the Palace, we headed up to the nearest intersection to try and determine where the nearest Tube station was. April decided to ask a bus driver who told us his bus went that way. On we got! April sat beside a woman who noticed our Buckingham Palace bags, and she was happy to share her thoughts on the royal family when April asked. She said she didn't mind the Queen, but didn't think the taxpayers should be paying all the rest of the dukes and earls and whatever.  Thanks to the advice from another woman on the bus, we knew when to get off for Westminster Abbey.

We arrived at the Abbey around 1:15 and April noticed that the verger tour was scheduled to start at 1:30, so we bought tickets.  The tour lasted more than 90 minutes – by far the best deal for 3 pounds that London has to offer! He brought us all around the Abbey, showing us the most famous graves and memorials, as well as bringing us into the private areas (for example, we went behind the altar where William and Kate went to sign their marriage certificate). We saw the area dedicated to science (Darwin and Faraday), that of musicians (Purcell and Elgar among many others), and of course Poet’s corner. When the tour was over, we headed to the Cellarium, the café now situated where the monks used to keep their stores of food and drink.

We were getting pretty tuckered out by now, but I had to find a carry-on bag to help reduce the weight of my suitcase and hold my purchases. Off we went, looking for Trafalgar Square with the help of the iPhone. We walked along Whitehall, past 10 Downing Street, and saw the Horse Guards building. After checking a number of stores, I finally found one that had a bag I hoped I could use.

Big Ben

Back on to the Tube – this time tired from a long day of trudging around, laden with purchases and it was 5 PM – rush hour again!  Fortunately the Tube wasn't as crowded as it can be, though we weren’t sure I would be able to get off at Bank station as I was pinned in by so many.  Nevertheless, “Pardon me”, “Excuse me”, and “Sorry” – and I was out!

Back at the apartment came the hard work – figuring out what we had bought and if it would fall under the $800 per person limit.  At first I was concerned that I was way over, but then I checked the exchange rates and I had been over-estimating the exchange impact.  I still needed to ask April if I could use some of her allowance, but between the two of us, we’ll be fine.

I called the driver who had picked us up from St.Pancras train station on last Saturday and he will pick us up tomorrow at 9:30 for the trip to Heathrow and the flight home.  It has been a wonderful vacation, with wonderful sites, excellent food, and 5 Vermeers!!!

The Globe Theatre and the Tower of London

October 2

We had a slow start to the day, but eventually headed out for the Globe.  The guidebook said the nearest Tube station was London Bridge, but we had quite a walk to find it. In the tourist areas there are maps which show the directions to what’s within a 5 minute walk from where you are, but we found the first map quite some time after we started walking, and the Globe was still 13 minutes away!

With the help of another woman who was as lost as we were, we eventually found our way to the Globe. There was a large crowd along the Thames but we thought we would try and get in for the tour. Luckily we made the 12:00 tour, one of the last of the day as they have afternoon performances of The Taming of the Shrew in the theatre.

The Globe

Our guide was Glennis and she had apparently been affiliated with the Globe for quite some time. We entered the Globe and first sat in the lowest section of the seats. This was followed by a time in the standing room only section in front of the stage (under the open roof). The people who stood here paid a penny to watch the show and were called the groundlings or penny-stinkards. To sit in the lowest benches cost two pennies. To sit higher up and on a cushion, you paid three pennies. Royalty would pay six pennies to sit behind above and behind the stage. They couldn’t see much of the play, but one went to the play to hear it – and to be seen.

The pennies collected were put in a clay box and when it was full, it was broken open and the proceeds shared with the owners and actors. This is the origin of the term box office.

This reconstructed Globe holds 1,500 viewers – 500 in the groundling area and 1,000 in the benches. However, while the reconstructed Globe is exactly the same size as the original, in Shakespeare’s day they would fit 3,000 in per performance. The reason was that people were smaller. Imagine how crowded it was with 3,000 viewers who would bathe only once or twice a year (at Christmas and at Easter, if it weren’t too cold).

View of the groundlings from the 2 penny seats

Performances were only held in the afternoon from 2 to 4. People wanted to get back over the river before dark and before the gates to London were closed at 6 PM.  There was a flag at the top of the theatre. It the flag was flying, there was a performance. No flag on the mast meant there would be no performance that day, usually because of plague.

After our tour of the Globe, we had lunch at the Swan, which is right beside the Globe.

Tower Bridge

We then headed out to the Tower of London. Rather than walk across the Millennium Bridge to Blackfriars’ Tube station, we decided to take a river boat.  The Tower was only two river stops from the Globe. When we went on the boat (around 2 PM), the tide was coming in and the river was very high.

Next: the Tower of London.  I went into the torture exhibit. It seems that torture as a method of exacting information was only used during the time of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary, Elizabeth, through to James I; approximately 100 years. In that 100 years, about 80 people were tortured throughout England, mainly for crimes like burglary or treason. More than half were tortured in the Tower. The main methods of torture were the rack and the scavenger’s daughter, where the body was folded in on itself.

Traitors' Gate

We saw Traitors’ Gate, where occupants would arrive at the Tower from the Thames. We also viewed the Crown Jewels.

After all this walking, we were pretty beat, so headed back to the flat for a couple of hours’ rest. Around eight PM we headed out to Ye Olde Watling, a 17^th century pub that is a few minutes from the flat. The pub was made from old ships’ timbers and is best known as the office of Christopher Wren when he was working on the building of St. Paul’s.

Our local pub

Tomorrow, the State Rooms, Mews, and Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

National Gallery, British Museum and a West End Play

October 1

It rained all night and was still raining this morning when I headed out. April stayed back at the flat while I would start my day at the National Gallery.  I took the Tube to Leicester Square and walked down Charing Cross to Trafalgar Square.

Trafalgar Square in the rain

I spent the next two hours walking through most of the rooms. I followed the guide the Gallery hands out identifying the 10 paintings you should look at if you only have an hour.  I don’t know how anyone could do it in the hour as the placement of the rooms could be confusing (at least to me), and I never did find the Caravaggio!

I did, however, recognize many of the pictures as I had watched a 24 lecture series on the Gallery and many of the paintings were discussed in detail. 

The Gallery has two Vermeers, and there were two on display, but one, The Guitar Player, is on a short term loan while Kentwood House is being remodelled.  Typically there are two versions of A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal, but there was only one there today.

After a couple of hours, I headed back out into the rain to go to the British Museum. The Museum is a fair distance from the nearest Tube station, Holburn.  It was easy to find as there was a lot of signage to point you in the right direction as you went along.  It was now about 1:45 and I had only had a couple of pieces of toast for breakfast and I was getting very hungry.

I went into the Museum Tavern, a grade 2 building across from the Museum, and had a delicious lunch of bangers and mash. Once fortified, I headed into the Museum. 

Museum Tavern

Rosetta Stone

Again, I just aimed to hit the high points due to time constraints. The famous Reading Room is now used for special exhibits.  The Rosetta Stone was constantly encircled by people.

Elgin Marbles

The Elgin Marbles were displayed in a large room, though they weren't referred to as the Marbles, but rather as “pieces from the Parthenon”.

I also saw the remains of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, which was one of the Wonders of the Ancient World. 

The Standard of Ur, was surprisingly small.

The Lewis chessman, from the 12^th century, were incredibly intricate.

The museum itself was a wonder, with great mosaics and sculpture everywhere you looked.

While the signage was very good going from the Tube station to the British Museum, there wasn't comparable signage to trace one’s way back to the Tube! Thank goodness for the iPhone that the company that rented the flat gave us to use. I just located the Holburn station on the map and the phone would let me know if I was walking closer and further away from my destination.

As it was now 3 PM, I headed back to the flat, with very sore feet from all the walking.  A quick constitutional cup of tea and April and I headed out to Tesco’s. Thanks to Google, we knew to take Lothbury to Old Jewry Lane and through the Lane down to Poultry / Cheapside. We picked up some yogurt and bread for breakfast and some replacement pasta for the penne we had eaten the night before.

We headed back to the flat and got ready to go out.  We took the Tube to the Embankment station and started looking for the Playhouse Theatre. It was just around the corner from the Tube and when we got there (around 5:45), the box office was open. I had ordered the tickets on-line when we were in Paris, but I only needed to give her my name and we had the tickets.

As we still had 1.5 hours until the show, we went for dinner. April had chestnut and mushroom soup, which she found quite bland. I ordered fish and chips (again), but they continue to be good, but not great.  For dessert, I ordered a passion fruit pavlova that was delicious. We walked back along Craven Street and noticed a number of plaques on the buildings. Herman Melville, Heinrich Heine, and Benjamin Franklin had all lived here in these Georgian buildings.

We headed back to the theatre and were there about 6:55.  The show was a one-man presentation of the Mystery of Charles Dickens, performed by Simon Callow.  It only started a couple of weeks ago, but we were surprised to see the theatre (very small to begin with), was only half full.

Callow was excellent, sometimes narrating information about Dickens’ life, sometimes playing the characters. The show started at 7:30 and was over by 9:30, and we headed back by Tube.

Lothbury exit at Bank Tube station

It was another great day in London.  I think we are going to try and take in St. Paul’s, the Tower, and the Globe tomorrow.